my little dove - sejanus plinth

(010) torn between power and love

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MY LITTLE DOVE.

(chapter ten, torn between power and love)

the snow penthouse / capitol arena, 2248.

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DOROTHY AND MRS PLINTH looked in horror as they watched Sejanus kneel down beside Marcus, rolling him onto his back. He tried to straighten the legs and fold the arms onto his chest before he started to sprinkle something over Marcus's body. He had done the same thing to Brandy after Arachne died and the girl got shot. 

"That's your son in there? What's he doing?" The Grandma'am asked.

"He's putting bread crumbs on the body," said Mrs Plinth. "So Marcus has food on his journey."

"His journey where? He's dead," the Grandma'am asked. 

"Back to wherever he came from," Mrs Plinth said softly. "It's what we do, back home. When someone dies."

And whilst Coriolanus thought of this to be silly, Dorothy couldn't help but crack a faint smile. It was a nice tradition and it made her feel something unexplainable. It was nice to have people care for you like that. Of course, someone like Coriolanus and the Grandma'am wouldn't understand. But before Dorothy could question anymore, the phone rang.

"One moment." Dorothy smiled at them before crossing to the phone in the foyer. "Hello?"

"Miss Snow, it's Dr Gaul." Dorothy felt her smile drop. "Are you near a screen?"

"Yes, I am." Dorothy sighed.

"What's going on with your friend?"

And whilst Dorothy certainly had something for Sejanus, she wasn't about to turn into a mutt. "We're not really... friends."

"Don't be stupid," Dr Gaul snapped. "'Hold my hand, Dorothy!' 'Come sit next to me, Sejanus! When I asked Casca what classmates he was close to, you and your brother's names were the only ones he could think of."

"Dr Gaul—"

"I don't have time for any 'Dr Gaul'. Right now, the Plinth brat's loose in the arena with a pack of wolves. If they see him, they'll kill him on the spot." She turned to speak to someone else. "No, don't cut away abruptly, that will only draw attention. Just make it as dark as you can. Make it look natural. A slow blackout, as if a cloud has drifted over the moon." She turned back to Dorothy. "You're a smart girl, Dorothy, smartest in your class. What message do you think this will send to the audience? The damage will be irreversible. We must fix this at once."

"What do you think we should do?" Dorothy muttered, turning away from the others, voice low.

"Well, we can't send in Peacekeepers or he'll bolt." Dr Gaul sighed. "We have to lure him out, but he doesn't like his father, he has no siblings, and no-one else cares for him except you, Coriolanus, and his mother. We're trying to find her now."

"She's here," Dorothy said. "She's right here with Coriolanus."

"Well, good, good," Dr Gaul said. "I want you, your brother, and the boy's mother here at the arena in twenty minutes. Nothing more, do you understand?"